The Oak Papers

The author, who ended his long-term relationship, spent two years meditating beneath the 800-year-old Honywood Oak tree in North Essex, England. The oak would have been a sapling when the Magna Carta was signed in 1215. Canton's book, This explores the tree's ecological, spiritual, literary, and historical contexts, using it as a lens to understand his own life and human history. It explores our dependency on the oak and its evolution into myth and legend. Canton questions whether these trees are no longer necessary for building houses, boats, fueling fires, or grinding acorns for flour during times of famine. Drawing inspiration from literary works like Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, Katherine Basford's Green Man, Thomas Hardy, and William Shakespeare, Canton explores the magic of nature and the threats it faces, such as human development and climate change. He encourages us to act as responsible stewards and learn from the world around us.

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